1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic reminder devices used by individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and related difficulties.
2. Background Discussion
There are approximately ten million adults and children in the United States with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Individuals with this disorder suffer from a short attention span accompanied by distractibility, forgetfulness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Many of these individuals take medication for their ADHD and require accommodations at their school or work. Their forgetfulness and lack of attention results in forgetting to take their medication, losing track of their school work, daydreaming, and general inability to stay on task. Parents, spouses, and teachers attempt to remind them of these tasks, but they are unable to do so on a constant basis.
Several devices have been developed to assist children with ADHD. These devices are cumbersome and generally designed to be placed on a student's desk or belt. One of these devices requires intervention by an observer to activate a visible and audible warning, creating almost as much disruption as manual intervention. Another device periodically vibrates as a reminder, but provide no indication of what the reminder is for. These devices are noticeable to others, resulting in a negative social stigma often associated, are disruptive, and have limited effectiveness.